American Tracker

There is a commonly known phrase: whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. This seems to apply especially to vacations. From weather canceling your flight, to traffic and crowds, you will always run into a hiccup on your holiday that you couldn’t ever plan for. Here are some ideas on how to make the best of the situation, even if you couldn’t avoid it.

If the weather is keeping you indoors, the right choice of hotels can make this a little more livable for you. For example, if you planned a romantic get away in Paris, you can find plenty of Paris Hotels that will have a variety of facilities and services you’ll crave on those bad weather days. You can choose a hotel with a spa, and schedule a massage or some treatments for you and your significant other. If you are traveling with your family, odds are the kids will be anxious after being couped up in the room all day. Choose a hotel with a pool, that way if the day is too hot for walking around sight seeing, the kids will be entertained. There are also game rooms, gyms, and recreational spaces available in most hotels. These are great to have as a Plan B for the unforeseen.

London is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. This is good news if you’re planning to vacation there, and looking for accommodation. As with any popular destination, the bigger the crowds, the more options there will be. You can choose from five star hotels, to all inclusive resorts, to budget hostels, to rustic cottages. However, along with your variety of options, the popularity of London will also work against you in that many of these will be booked early in the year for the high season. With everyone going on vacation around the same time (usually to catch the most ideal weather conditions for sight seeing and travel) you will run into plenty of crowds and packed accommodation. This can be the quickest holiday killer if you are planning your vacation very late and suddenly have no where to stay.

The only way to avoid this is to book as early as possible. Whether you’re looking for a luxury London Hotels or just a bed in a dorm at a hostel, you will need to reserve your place fast. There are millions of other tourists all looking for a place to stay, and most will share your budget, so you need to act fast.

There are always many options available when you are looking into booking your next holiday. However, one increasingly popular opportunity that few know about, is a self catering holiday. This is the perfect solution to all your holiday planning, it provides you with the freedom you want, without any of the downsides that come along with traditional accommodation options.

Tired of hotel stays? Tired of cold, impersonal rooms that are uncomfortable? Want a more “at home” feeling while you’re relaxing on your vacation? Try the self catering option, where you can stay in a home like environment, with all the ammenities and surroundings of home. You’ll be on private grounds, with excellent facilities, and all the comforts of home, at your home away from home. Everything will be available to you, from a swimming pool to cool off in during the warmer months, to laundry facilities for those on an extended stay holiday, and even tennis courts and restaurants. Everything you could ask for from a vacation, all in one place. After a long day sight seeing and walking, you will want a relaxing place to unwind that doesn’t feel like a bare hotel room. Have the perfect holiday you’ve always been looking for!

It is true for almost everyone that if you have information on the location in which you are travelling to, you will have a much more enjoyable, and rewarding experience. This can be anything as extensive as the history on the country, local statistics, or as simple as knowing the best hot spots that are worth seeing, or local secrets of the best places that are not so well known among the tourism masses. All of this information can be found in a travel guide.

When it comes to travel guides, there are a variety of publishers, and focal topics for you to choose from. Whether you are a budget traveller, a senior traveller, a history buff or other, you can find a travel guide that suits your needs.

These guides often include reviews by real travellers, such as yourself, on restaurants, tourist attractions, accommodation and other aspects that are crucial and common to every vacation. Having this info can make the difference between a good trip, and a great trip. If you know what hotels to avoid, or what attractions are worth the trip, you can make more of your time and overall holiday.

Oasis of the Seas, the most recent line launched by Royal Caribbean Cruises. It is 20-stories tall and 1,180 feet long it is now the largest passenger liner afloat. It is five times the size of the Titanic and has lodging available for 6,300 passengers. The crew total is 2,100 and too many buffet tables to count. At a cost of $1.3 billion to build, this ship was six years in the making. This cruise liner is the definition of luxury travel. It was build in Turku, Finland and from there made its maiden voyage with its amphitheatre that seats 750 people outdoors.  It also offers a mini-golf course, basketball and volleyball courts, an ice rink and an indoor theatre for 1,300 and enough swimming pools to satisfy everyone.

Although this ship has been compared to the Titanic, designers feel it is an undue comparison. This ship’s interaction with an iceberg would be an unlikely concern says Assistant professor of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering at the University of Michigan Matthew Collette, “All ships are designed to make the chance of large-scale structural collapse very remote.”  He went on to say, “If it was struck by one I would expect there to be some local damage at the point of impact – broken portholes, bent railings, but little else.”

Stag weekends are now a common phenomenon and have replaced the concept of a single night’s party. They last for more than one evening; hence, it is the weekends that prove best for holding such a party. The trend has given rise to a separate industry altogether, which help the groom and his friends steer clear of the hassles that are associated with the arranging of a stag weekend.

Currently, a stag party on the weekends has become something like a mini-vacation, the revelry outgrowing what people knew formerly as just a night out in the town. The diminishing airfares have also contributed to the trend. Thus, if smoking pot is on the agenda, it is highly possible to fly down to Amsterdam one Friday and return on Sunday evening.

However, only a handful of people are so typically hedonistic by nature; for most, it is paintball, go carting and playing poker or some other card game. For the more daring ones, bungee jumping, paragliding and water sports are recommended and if the testosterone runs real high, legitimate agencies providing strippers are only a mouse-click away.

Now, any party is incomplete without appropriate music. Thus, romantic but danceable numbers should be given the first preference and unless someone has a knack (and expertise) for handling the sound consoles, a DJ must be arranged for the late evening in-house fun and frolic.

The same applies to the food. Stag parties mostly comprise roasted meat items because they go well with the drinks, so do dry fruits, and if strippers are appointed, chocolates must stay on the roster.

As for the gift for the groom, it must be sufficient to make the groom feel he’s the centre of attraction of the party. It could be on the lines of the old times that the groom and his friends shared or it could be something that connects more to his married life. For the more daring groups, sex toys also prove a worthwhile gift.

But one word of caution; no woman is allowed in the stag night except for the stripper(s). It’s a strictly all male night and the dance floor, if there is one, is meant for the groom and his friends. It’s because the vulgarity and profanity – the chief themes of a stag night – shall otherwise be lost. And that is what’s considered the chief attraction of a stag night, besides the meat and the drinks.

If you’re visiting Las Vegas for the first time, you’ll want to know where the best places are for fluttering your cash. The choice of hotels and casinos here are endless and can be quite off-putting to ‘Vegas virgins’. To make things easier, we’ve come up with our very own Vegas travel guide to make your trip one to remember.

First of all you need to consider your budget.  Most casinos in Vegas form part of exclusive hotel and leisure resorts and some fantastic deals can be done if you know where to look. If you’d rather spend your money on the tables than on your hotel accommodation, try the Golden Palms Hotel Casino which is located just moments from the main Strip, offering comfortable room facilities and even an outdoor pool and Jacuzzi – perfect for cooling off from that stifling desert air! Alternatively, head a little further out to the Sonoran Suites Las Vegas which offers affordable accommodation and close proximity to Vegas’ range of terrific golf courses.

If you’re trying to make every penny count but you still want to be in the hub of all the action, the Sahara Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, positioned conveniently on the Strip, is a good option if you’re just after something fairly cheap and cheerful. Facilities include themed restaurants, a spa and salon, an 80,000 sq ft casino with a focus on blackjack tables, a comedy club and even a roller-coaster ride encircling the venue.

If money isn’t an option, however, and you want to experience the ultimate in Las Vegas pomp and luxury, the famous Bellagio hotel and casino is the venue for you. Aimed more towards high-rolling gamblers, the décor here is opulent and the atmosphere and clientele of the highest prestige, so unless you’re a particularly good bluffer, this is not really the place for amateurs. Guests can master their poker face in one of the Bellagio’s three poker rooms or bet to their heart’s content in the private lounge and swish sports-booking area. Either way, you will be sure to receive some of the best treatment on the Strip.

Most good casinos also provide drinks and food free of charge as you gamble, so make sure you take advantage of this little perk. However, if you would prefer a sit-down meal somewhere, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Most hotel casinos provide a range of themed and buffet restaurants, some with ‘all-you-can-eat’ deals at a fixed price which offer excellent value for money. Another great place to go for the whole family is  The Cheesecake Factory, offering a vast all-American menu, as well as specializing in their mouth-watering signature cheesecake dessert.

Planning a trip to London? Wondering what to do, but don’t know where to start? Then look no further than this top five guide.

1) ‘Visit a Museum’.

With London playing host to over 300 world class museum and many of them free, the only difficult part is which to choose. Whether or not you’re a budding Einstein, you can’t go wrong with a visit to London’s Science Museum. Set over five floors and covering topics from space exploration, medicine and technology, you can guarantee the museum offers something for everyone.  Hands on activities, simulator rides, or a trip to see an IMAX promise to delight visitor’s young and old.

2) ‘Sightsee’

Spend a few hours wandering London’s breathtaking streets and you’re guaranteed to take in many a famous landmark. A trip to Buckingham Palace to take in the regal residence is an absolute must see. The changing of the guards takes place daily, and is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Who knows, stick around long enough and you might just see the Queen. Either way, taking in the stunning architecture you’re sure to feel like Royalty.

3) ‘Hit the shops’

Credit cards at the ready for a trip down London’s bustling Oxford Street. The heart of the capital’s shopping district, whether it’s a major high street store, local boutiques or some window shopping you’re after, if you don’t find it on Oxford Street, you won’t find it anywhere.

4) ‘Get away from it all’

Escape the hustle and bustle with a trip to one of London’s beautiful gardens. Basque in the sunshine beside the soothing sounds of the Diana Princess of Wales memorial fountain, situated in the southwest corner of Hyde Park. The perfect way to relax after a hard morning’s sight seeing.

5) ‘Watch a West End show’

A West End show captures the very soul of what a trip to London is all about. From modern musicals to contemporary classics, there’s a show out there made for you. Make the most of your trip by booking a London theatre break package, including tickets to a show of your choice and a trip in a nearby hotel.  The perfect end to a perfect trip.

The gorgeous city of Prague, famous for its turbulent history, lovely architecture and frothy beer has become a top destination for world travelers interested in the historic heart of Europe. Prague is one of the most exciting cities to visit in Europe and boasts numerous attractions in an intriguing Old World setting that many visitors find difficult to leave, attractions that include the massive Prague Castle complex- spanning over a thousand years of history, the National Theater-a true national treasure built from the pockets of Czech citizens, the world-famous Astronomical Clock and Wenceslas Square-the stage for the Prague Spring of 1968 and the Velvet Revolution in 1989.

To make your stay in Prague truly magical you can stay in one of the city’s many luxury boutique and design hotels, which are centrally located in Prague’s Old Town or Lesser Town, and are situated in meticulously renovated historic buildings.

Or if you wish, you can choose a fully serviced apartment in the center of Prague, perfect for families who need more space, or a world-renowned hotel chain such as the Four Seasons or the Mandarin Oriental. Prague offers a large variety of accommodation for all budgets and tastes.

Prague’s Old Town is home to Old Town Square with the Astronomical Clock and the intimidating Gothic Tyn Church, the Art Nouveau Municipal House and many shopping options including an open-air market. The Lesser Town of Prague has a more residential feel to it, being home to various embassies, which are located in beautiful Baroque palaces as well as secret gardens with courtyard cafes, the magnificent Baroque St. Nicolas Cathedral and the omnipresent Prague Castle looming majestically above the city and the winding Vltava River.